Working Smarter

In greenhouse business software, a prevailing trend is enterprise resource planning. A suite of software products that handles everything from managing inputs to production schedules to invoicing produces lean, efficient workflows. As employees are major resources for any company, tracking labor is part of the fabric of production forecasting.

“Forecasting requirements are done through manufacturing projections or scheduling software, like ours,” says Kevin Moser, president of the Corymb Group, formerly Plantware. “You can identify the number of people, when you’re going to need them and how long they’re going to take. That’s normally done through time studies. You count your cycle time and determine how long it’s going to take and how many people it’s going to take per unit of production.”

From this step, many companies allocate labor costs directly to a specific production process, so it is considered part of the cost of the product line.

Once it is determined how much labor will cost for a project, there’s always the equation of figuring out what to pay for that work. For companies that pay a piece rate, data collection keeps track of who does what. The Corymb Group’s Vericell Vision software labor tracking does include documentation for piece work, including activities like sticking cuttings or transplanting.

Quantity, But Also Quality

Lean manufacturing and labor tracking take the waste out of production and make it more efficient, but what does it do for the quality of the finished product? John Stallmer, president of Innovative Software Solutions, says the labor tracking in his software, PICAS, allows growers to try processes on for size. If they aren’t successful, the process can be changed and improved. The advantage of collecting data on a process is there’s no grey area as to whether or not a production flow is working.

“Data doesn’t lie,” he says. “A lot of customers benefit from looking at data and saying, ‘We’ve done this process in the past with four people. Why do we need six now?'” Raw data can answer the question. And since an employee’s badge number is electronically linked with each tray or product, there is incentive for good work.

Standalone Package

Making the switch to electronic labor tracking is a bit less intimidating since the PICAS labor module can be used independently of the full PICAS package.

The system has two components. A basic time and attendance package can be tied to accounting software, and then that data can be used to track quantities and come up with cost per unit and quantities per hour, two of the key components of labor tracking.

Equipment includes a standard time clock and portable units employees carry with them. Three scans — a badge, task and product — and an employee is ready to go. The system can switch employees’ tasks and product individually or as a whole group.

“I don’t want to have to have that person get up away from their workstation and go to a clock,” Stallmer says. “With a portable unit, the supervisor can just switch that person. Team logic allows switching a whole group.”

While ISS sells a couple of full PICAS software packages a year, Stallmer expects the company could sell up to 10 of the standalone labor modules per year. The current ISS customer base has seen a 15 to 25 percent increase in productivity.

“They’re working that much better,” he says. “They’re working smarter. They’re able to quickly abandon processes that aren’t effective.”

What will be the next big perennial? Breeders say it takes more than a splashy plant to distinguish itself in the market. Therefore, the question is not what will be the next big perennial, but rather what perennial performs well enough in the garden to have staying power in the market for years to come.

The industry's goal is to have loyal customers who return to the same plants time and time again, not because of price, but owing to a plant brand that shouts top-notch garden performance and is synonymous with excellence, which gives them the secure knowledge that their investment will be worth every hard-earned cent.

The annual meet for the International Plant Propagators' Society (IPPS) Western Region has been set for this September. It will take place September 23 to 26 in Modesto, Calif., and will include learning sessions, tours to local nurseries, a research poster display and poster presentations, various networking opportunities and an awards banquet to close the event.

The management of Myers Lawn and Garden Group, along with Wingate Partners V, L.P. have recently acquired the Myers Industries, Inc. Lawn and Garden business. The new company is named The HC Companies, and will continue as a North American leading provider of horticulture containers supplying the greenhouse, nursery and retail markets.

While meeting during the Flower and Vegetable Seed Conference in Tampa, Fla., hosted by the American Seed Trade Association, All-America Selections elected new officers for a two-year term. Read on to learn about the new officers, as well as all of the new judges that were added in 2014.

Greenhouse Grower magazine, the nation’s leader in profits, production and education for greenhouse growers, announces the launch of its completely redesigned website, GreenhouseGrower.com. The new design is the product of direct user feedback and GreenhouseGrower.com analytics, and includes responsive design for ease of mobile use.

Ronald Valentin has been appointed technical lead for Syngenta Bioline, effective January 2015. He will be responsible for technical support of Bioline biological control agents and will be instrumental in helping growers develop integrated pest management (IPM) solutions.

When Bailey Nurseries purchased its long-time breeding partner, Plant Introductions, Inc. (PII), in early January 2015, it freed the PII team to concentrate on what they do best: develop new plants. Bailey Nurseries will take on the business management side of the partnership, but otherwise the relationship it has enjoyed with PII for years will be largely unchanged.

Bailey Nurseries has acquired Plant Introductions, Inc. (PII), effective January 1, 2015. PII has developed numerous innovative new varieties that have been marketed worldwide, many introduced by Bailey Nurseries.

Dramm Corp. recently welcomed Fritz Dramm as the new fertilizer production and compliance manager. Dramm previously worked at the company through high school and college, and is back after 20-plus years.

Succession planning is a sensitive subject, but one that needs to be addressed when deciding on your operation's legacy. Greenhouse Grower caught up with two growers who shared their process and provided tips for a smooth transition.